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Ivyshade gave her tail-tip a twitch as her gaze raked the reeds surrounding RiverClan's camp. She rose, her ears flicking to and fro, padding out of the camp to fish from the halfbridge. The leaf-fall chill nipped at her paws as she walked through RiverClan's gently sloping territory, down to the lake.

The black she-cat padded down to the lake, noticing Ivyshade coming the same way. She wondered wether or not to go over, bvut decided against it. Besides, the other she-cat was probably hunting, and Mockingfire had other things to do.

Clearbeeze tasted the for scent. She quickly recognized the smell of Ivyshade and spotted her clanmate perched by the lake. "Ivyshade!," she called, waving her tail in greeting. Clearbreeze loved to spend time with basically any cat and was never alone for too long. She padded up to Ivyshade and sat down beside her.

Clearbreeze gave her short, white fur a swift lick. "Nothing really," she mewed. "I was just thinking about going for a quick swim." Her glassy blue eyes peered out over the water. It's shimmering surface rippled in the soft breeze, sending little waves dancing towards the shore. "I love swimming," she murmured. Jumping to her paws, she raced into shallows and looked back at Ivyshade. "Are you coming?," she asked.

"You bet I am!" Ivyshade purred, splashing into the shallows beside Clearbreeze. She lunged further in, paddling her paws to keep her afloat, and sank in until only her nose, eyes, and ears were above the water. She loved the feeling of water surrounding her. She felt like it was welcoming her, embracing her, accepting her as an equal.

Clearbreeze kicked off into the deeper waters, swimming strongly after Ivyshade. The lake water lapped at her sides, its silver droplets beading up on her white pelt then easily slipping off. She noticed a pair of Riverclan toms padding along the shoreline, carrying prey and chatting. She paddled to Ivyshade's side. "Hey, you wanna see something really funny?," she asked a twinkle of mischief in her blue eyes. She took in a large gulp of air before ducking below the surface. Once her body was completely soaked, she carefully opened her water-worn eyes and looked around. She could faintly make out the two toms as they trotted along, not noticing Clearbreeze or her ginger companion. She swam back through the shallows until she was crouching just below the water surface. Then when the moment was exactly right she jumped from the lake and let out a fierce screech. The two toms spun around, eyes wide with fear, and let out identical yowls of terror. Clearbreeze purred in amusement and looked back at Ivyshade, wondering what the ginger she-cat would think of her joke.

Ivyshade dipped her head underwater, tracking Clearbreeze's movements. The she-cat swam stealthily up towards two RiverClan toms that were walking near the lakeshore. Ivyshade wondered what her Clanmate was playing at when Clearbreeze suddenly leapt from the water with a ferocious cry. Ivyshade poked her ears above the water just soon enough to hear the toms' incredibly startled cries.

"That was hilarious!" Ivyshade said, laughing. "Man, the looks on their faces when you scared them... those were just priceless."

Clearbreeze let out a small mrw of laughter. "I know right!," she mewed. Then she noticed her clanmates staring at her with matching annoyed glares. "Sorry," she told them feeling slightly guilty. She thought of a way she could make it up to them. "How about this? You guys can go do whatever and i'll take your prey back to camp," she offered, her gaze flickering from the toms to Ivyshade. The two Riverclan warriors shrugged. "That seems fair," one of them said. Clearbreeze dipped her head and scooped up a trout in her jaws. "I'll be on my way then," she said through the scales. "Ivyshade? Can you carry that sunfish?," she asked, turning to face the ginger she-cat.

Opening her emerald green eyes, the vast reeds and brambles that make up the foundation of the nursery lay in front of her. The reeds and branches that made the support appeared to be damp due to the open air that engulfs the camp is filled with water molecules that are more dense than those of WindClan. This is because of the fact the river rushes by only a couple foxlengths from the den. Heaving a grunting sigh, she rolled to her stomach, position the belly were her kits developed in a comfortable position as she sat up. Looking to her bulging stomach, she pinned her ears back in sudden resentment for ever being sore careless as to become pregnant. Suddenly, as she recollected her time with the kits father, she felt an uncomfortable jab from the kits that grew inside her. Even though her thought processing and decision making was less keen compared to other cats, she sensed that this pregnancy was abnormal.With that thought, she desired to terminate these kits but even an unmorally correct cat like herself had to keep them. Heaving yet another sigh, she sat up on her haunches and lifted a paw to her tongue. Lapping her soft padded paw, she ran her paw across the fur on her face and then she began the long and tedious process of grooming her striking orange pelt.

Ivyshade padded into camp and dropped the sunfish onto the fresh-kill pile. She breathed a sigh of relief; she was heartily sick of lugging the large fish around. Near the edge of the camp, the river rushed smoothly along, reflecting the sunlight from above.

Ivyshade padded softly over to a spot of the camp near the nursery where the camp wall was made up of nothing more than a tangle of reeds. She wove through them, coming to the river's edge. Exhaling softly, she dipped her paws into the cool water, feeling her pads instantly become soaked in soothingly cold water. It was one of her favorite spots in the camp; there was no better stress-reliever than the soft gurgle of the river and the feeling of icy water rushing past one's paws.

Swiveling her ears to the foreign sound in the stream, Dawnfur lashed her tail in slight irritation. Every since became pregnant, any slight disturbance has upset her even more than the usual fair. Heaving a sigh, she rolled to her soft, well manicured paws. Shifting her weight so her weight was even displaced on all of her paws, she winced as she adjusted her stomach with developing kits.Padding outside of the nursery, the Newleaf sun penetrated her eyesight, causing sudden blindness. As her eyes dilated to the light, she could see the orange pelt of Ivyshade peaking from behind the reeds of the nursery. Curling her lip in an unattractive manner, she was disgusted with Ivyshade.My brilliant orange pelt is much more luminous than her fungus colored one! Good thing she is hiding her ugly white paw in the water. It reminds me of the crust that surrounds a nasty cat's eye as they awaken, she thought.Lumbering over to where Ivyshade stood in the blissful brook, she kept her head held high, making her appear more important that Ivyshade, herself. Walking in a preppy manner, she stepped behind Ivyshade and sneered in her nasally, unattractive voice that contradicted her angelic appearance, "What is your reasoning in disturbing the gorgeous sounds of the water? Splashing around like an unintelligent kit! You are merely scaring the fish away. What kind of warrior are you?"Uttering these false accusations, she gave a smug grin and looked down upon Ivyshade, her eyes burning into Ivyshade's emerald green eyes like a forest fire.

Ivyshade was considering a nap when a nasty snarl sounded behind her. "What is your reasoning in disturbing the gorgeous sounds of the water? Splashing around like an unintelligent kit! You are merely scaring the fish away. What kind of warrior are you?"

Ivyshade spun around, tail high and lashing. She curled her lips back, revealing her gleaming teeth. She would never attack a Clanmate, but she had never liked Dawnfur. The she-cat was so full of herself, especially in regards to her appearance. She acted like caring for her luxurious orange coat was the most important thing. Part of Ivyshade felt sorry for her kits, when they were born. Having a mother like that would be a nightmare.

"I wasn't aware that I was disturbing anything," Ivyshade hissed, unable to keep a lid on her anger. "And if anybody has to be the unintelligent kit here, it'll be yours, when they're born! I bet they'll inherit arrogance and stupidity from you." Ivyshade sat back on her haunches, flicking her ears. For some unexplainable reason, the lush shine of Dawnfur's pelt was irritating her further. "Too bad we don't need more cats like you in the Clan!"

Normally, Ivyshade wouldn't have wanted to resort to harsh words, but Dawnfur really got under her pelt. There was no way to keep the she-cat from acting superior, and she no doubt believed that she was superior, too. Ivyshade flattened her ears. At least it would be reasonably hard for Dawnfur to fight, if she did attack, which was unlikely itself. Being pregnant with kits did seem to hamper a cat's fighting ability.

Letting her lip curl into a malicious smile, Dawnfur knew that she had won; she made the levelheaded she-cat subside to anger and disgust. Dawnfur's mood of rage seemed to fade like the dew in the early morning upon the reeds once the sun rose and won over the moon. Her satisfaction engulfed her as she basked in the sudden anger of Ivyshade. This elation made her deaf to the deep meaning of what Ivyshade hissed due to the pride that clouded her dull mind. Billowing more air than the usual fair from her nostrils, a humming sound like a snobbish snort and a hummingbird's high frequency buzz of its wings. The did this after Ivyshade mentioned that her kits will be the ones who will be the ones disturbing the fish and causing a ruckus with their intelligence. Her smug smile faded and was replaced with a peculiar expression. Her once radiant eyes grew tired and reflected her pain in bearing kits for a moment. The scintillating orange pelt of light seemed to grow dim and not as lush for a moment. Her once youthful appearance disparaged and she looked a pitiful sight. Although, this was merely just an illusion considering she still looked as beautiful as she did before.Heaving a sigh, she said in a bored manner, "Yes, I will have to agree that my kit's behavior shall be distasteful. They will be unintelligent, idiotic, and just plain ugly cats. They will never live up to my legacy. Although, I can assure you that they will be..." She trailed off in a bored sigh, rolling her eyes as if she had rehearsed these words many times before. Continuing again, she said, "They will be..." She stopped again and blew more air than normal out of her nostrils, "Undesirable."

Flicking her tail and looking at her paws and their well manicured claws. This behavior just confirmed her bipolar demeanor and his she can go from spoiling for a fight to boredom. Rolling her eyes, she turned to the nursery, about to leave this conversation. As she was just about to leave the shoreline edge and the quarrel with Ivyshade, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Cringing, she let out a groan as she felt her the pain in her stomach grow more intense. She collapsed to the group and erupted in violent writhing in pain as the contractions began. This was the beginning of a painful labor and her enemy stood right beside her on the shoreline, spoiling for a skirmish.

Ivyshade sat back on her haunches, annoyed with herself. However much Dawnfur annoyed her, she knew she shouldn't have let the snobbish she-cat get to her. Her harsh words had been a victory for Dawnfur, and she felt sure that both of them knew it.

Dawnfur looked as if she was about to leave, turning towards the nursery without another word. However, before she could move a single step, she flinched and then collapsed to the damp earth below, tail thrashing, entire body writhing.

For a moment, Ivyshade stood by, dumbfounded. It looked as if the she-cat was having her kits. What to do in a situation such as this was not in Ivyshade's knowledge, so she stood near the she-cat, tail fluffed up to its fullest in shock.

Of course she's having her kits, you mouse-brain, Ivyshade scolded herself silently. So what are you going to do about it?

Without a word to Dawnfur, Ivyshade wove around her, pushing back through the thick bank of reeds that sheltered the camp from the outside world. She made her way to the medicine cat's den on shaky legs, calling inside for the Clan's medicine cat.

With the medicine cat following her, Ivyshade jogged back to the reeds where Dawnfur lay, giving birth. Her head swimming with confusion, she took a few steps back, wondering if she should stay or leave.

Sprawling across the ground, an intense wave of pain and anguish overcame her and she let out a high frequency yowl. The sound of the screech was as loud as one might expect but was a high pitch. This was quite peculiar considering you would assume it would be loud.

As a kit, Dawnfur was quite spoiled considering her parents devoted their entire lives to make sure not even one hair was ripped from her brilliant pelt. She was the sun, the most important essential to her parents lives after they sacrificed their other kit for her. It was this upbringing that truly aided to her current personality and inability to understand the pain and suffering of loss.Due to the fact she has never known discomfort, the excruciating pain from the contractions of birth were misunderstood for death. She believed that these were her last breaths of air as she squalled on the river shore, giving birth.

After what seemed like moons, unpleasant thoughts crossed her mind. Something did appeared abnormal about this birthing. It was an instinctual feeling that stirred in the dark regions of even the most saintly cats' mind. Something was wrong.Letting out yet another earsplitting yowl, one newborn kit felt the moist dirt of the river shore for the first time. It was a sickly small kit that seemed quite undeveloped. The mother was too weak and thought to lick the kit seemed not to cross her now primitive mind. After a couple moments, the second kit felt the ground. It was a large kit that appeared to have been three times the size of the minuscule kit that came first.

Dawfur knew the ordeal was over but at this point, she was on the brink of unconsciousness. Her mind was beginning to grow empty, hard to believe, and her once rapid breathing was thinning. Her thin eyelids begged to close but from some instinct that may have passed through the pampered kithood remained. She knew she had to survive.

(Terrible writers block and I distracted while I was posting this! XD)

Unable to look away, Ivyshade watched as a tiny kit slithered onto the grass. She frowned, scrutinizing it. Though she was no expert on the matter, the kit looked very small to her. For a fleeting moment, Ivyshade wondered whether the kit would survive or not.

Don't think about that.

A few moments passed, and for a moment, Ivyshade allowed herself to think that the ordeal was over. But then, a second kit slid out onto the grass. It was much, much larger than the first, and probably quite strong, considering its size. Ivyshade figured that there was no cause of concern with the larger kit. It was the small kit that worried her.

Dawnfur seemed to go limp on the damp earth, and her breath began to ease off. Ivyshade stiffened, her tail lashing. Something's wrong.

Though she had not witnessed many births before, the warrior had enough experience to know that usually mothers licked and fed their kits just after they were born. Dawnfur was just lying on the ground. She appeared quite feeble; Ivyshade knew that kittings always made queens exhausted, but this seemed to be something more.

Although she had always hated Dawnfur, Ivyshade had to feel a shred of sympathy for her in her weakened state. Sliding around the queen, Ivyshade stopped to examine the kits again. The large one appeared to be active, but the small kit looked underdeveloped and vulnerable. Not for the first time, the thought of the kit's death crossed Ivyshade's mind, and she shuddered.

It seemed like moons before the thin breaths of Dawnfur began to come out in raspy whistles. Her sides heaved in a rhythmic pattern yet again. Although, the breaths indicated that she was alive and well. They did suggest she was quite tired from the labor of giving birth. All sense of instincts had failed for the long spoiled cat. Any mother with a sense of compassion would persevere through the exhaustion, taking care of her kits. But this disgrace merely allowed herself to fall into a peaceful slumber, pushing away the knowledge she should care for the sickly small kit and massive almost overdeveloped kit.

Next the steady rise and fall of the brilliant orange pelt of Dawnfur, the thin body of the weak kit fell from irregular breaths and heartbeat to a steady and rhythmic pulse that was on a different beat compared to his dishonorable mother. Although, he seemed grow more healthy as more time passed. The once slick pelt from the birth dried in the intense Newleaf sun. Once the filmy residue distilled, a black pelt reflected the thermal rays of the sun and left a viewer of the fur feeling the need to squint. His pelt appeared to be a spit image of a ravens feathers and down. It was terribly handsome and something even the most vain cat would be proud of.

On the other hand, the large kit's breath seemed to grow regular and the pulse of breaths and heartbeats seemed to be in sync with that of his brothers. It was an awfully remarkable sight, two cats who looked so different but were so similar alike. As his brother possessed a feathery black pelt, the massive kit had a shale gray tinge that made him appear like a misplaced boulder. His fur did not hold the luster like his brother but was a shaggy gray.

Both kits appeared to have grown stronger and inched closer to their mother. As the approached closer to the curve of her belly, both of their feeble crawls grew more hesitant as they sensed an unwelcoming atmosphere about the deceiving orange pelt of their mother. But, they inched to her despite their gut feelings and began to nurse the vile tasting milk she produced that reflected the givers heart; bitter and vile.

Ivyshade looked on wide-eyed as Dawnfur lay on the ground, eventually recovering a steady breathing cycle. Her two kits lay near her, unattended. As the sun began to dry out their slicked-down pelts, Ivyshade could see their colors more clearly.

The tiny, underdeveloped kit had a handsome jet-black pelt that shone fiercely in the sun. Ivyshade squinted as the rays reflected brightly off of the tom's sleek, unmarred pelt. She wondered fleetingly if Dawnfur would put aside her own vanity to embrace the appearance of her son. Surely having such a handsome kit would at least bring Dawnfur some recognition, if not much.

The larger kit had a pale, dusty gray pelt. Ivyshade noted that it wasn't sleek and shiny like the raven kit's fur; rather, it looked as if the large kit had been rolled in a pile of rock dust. Although he was clearly healthier and more powerful, his outward appearance was lacking.

Ivyshade's tail twitched as realization hit her. The stronger kit, which Ivyshade had predicted that Dawnfur would favor, was much less handsome than the tiny, weaker kit. Which would the orange queen value more - looks or power?

Probably looks, Ivyshade thought immediately. But would such a small, seemingly weak kit bring Dawnfur disgrace? Questions and possible answers swam around in Ivyshade's mind a she watched the kits suckle from their ungrateful mother.

After a little while, the once glossy orange pelt of Dawnfur stirred. After the intense pain and desperate attempts to rid the kits from her body, the orange fur upon her skin was matted in some places and tangled. Heaving a deep breath, the fragrance of the rushing water from the river as well as the reedy plants that subsided beside it were taken into her lungs. It was then that she opened her verde eyes that were dull due to the overwhelming agony she fought through a while ago. As she gained focus of her surroundings, she could hear the steady breathing of two small bodies that lay next to her. Twitching her whiskers and closing her eyes for a brief second, she expected the worst. Two ugly kits. Opening her eyes once again, she craned her neck to her two sons and pinned her ears back. Narrowing her eyes, she studied to rise and fall from the sleeping kits and her first impressions were concluded. She only spent a couple moments looking at the kits and her eyes caught her depressing pelt. Gasping, she noticed the horrid state it was in and immediately stood up, letting the newborn kits' heads hit the ground as they had been resting on her. They began to mewl in alarm from the sudden movement and their cries grew more intense as they felt the absence of their mother. Turning to the helpless bundles of fur, she snarled, "Shut up, Boulderkit! Shut up, Blackkit!"It was apparent that she only needed a couple moments to name them according to the color of their pelt. She was unimpressed by both of them. They both possessed positive attributes along with flaws. So, she decided to name then uncreative names following their fur colors. The black kit is Blackkit and the gray kit is Boulderkit from the color and his immense size. Dismissing the kits cries for their mother's company, she began to groom her pelt, fixing the blemishes in the fur.

(Is it okay if I do a little time skip to when they open their eyes and are more curious?)

Ivyshade curled her lip as Dawnfur stood up, abandoning her kits. The kits' cries escalated, for now they were surrounded by only the damp air and rushing river water, with no sign of the warmth of their mother's fur.

Dawnfur snarled at them, calling them by the names of Boulderkit and Blackkit. Ivyshade studied the kits' pelts again. Their names were fitting, if rather drab.

Rather hurriedly, Dawnfur began grooming her pelt. Parts of it had become matted during her kitting, with a few stains marring the magnificent orange that was her fur. As she continued to groom herself, the kits lay on the earth, unattended.

Ivyshade barely suppressed a snarl of disgust, not for the kits, but for Dawnfur. What kind of mother would leave her kits alone like that? The warrior took a step forward on instinct, but stopped herself. It was not her place to comfort another queen's kits, especially since she didn't have any kits of her own, but the tiny kits' cries tore at her heart with the sharpest of claws.